When Ivy's parents announce that they have lost their expensive digs and nearly everything they own, including Ivy's beloved baby grand, it's the end of her world. The piano and singing are Ivy's passions, and the move to Lakeside, a low-income town where the poor kids at school live, is too much for her upscale esteem to bear. She can't tell her friends for fear of ostracism. Enter suave and mysterious James Wickerton, whose attention is focused on Ivy. When rumored drug dealer Lennie Lazarski, Ivy's new next-door neighbor, also starts taking notice of her at home and (gasp!) at school, that's the limit. Meanwhile friends encourage Ivy, who needs a job, to put her talents to use. Overwhelmed by everything, Ivy falls deep into a romantic triangle she feels she can't escape. Overcoming prejudices and fears are the centerpieces of the book, and Ivy's feeling of unjust displacement evolves to an understanding of needful adaptability. When it comes to heart and finding home, this novel hits the right notes.

Gr 8 Up-Ivy Emerson, 16, moves from affluent Westside to undesirable Lakeside after her parents declare bankruptcy after getting behind on her brother's medical bills. Leaving her baby grand piano, bedroom with a window seat, and cell phone behind, she fears she'll lose her friends if they ever find out. But keeping up appearances proves difficult when her best friend still lives in Westside, her bad-boy next-door neighbor isn't keen on keeping their interactions a secret, and the mysterious new boy at school seems far more Westside than Lakeside. To make matters worse, Ivy's best friend is crushing on the new guy who, in turn, is mutually crushing on Ivy. Worst of all, she can't even save face with a "respectable" job playing piano at the country club due to her stage fright and fear of being found out. Short on cash and without the perspective that money isn't everything, Ivy navigates the waters of learning what she's worth in a very material world. Although distastefully shallow at first, trying to save face at every turn, Ivy eventually learns that things aren't always what they seem, and that it is not what you have but who you are that matters. A constant barrage of "ums," ellipses, and disjointed plot devices tarnish the reading experience. VERDICT The lesson Ivy learns is important and oh-so-sweet; the journey there is cumbersome and slightly sour. Brittany Staszak, St. Charles Public Library, IL